At Rotherfield in Sussex two leaning fragments are all that remain
of a once immense tree. Such is the value placed on these fragments
that over time no fewer than 13 stout props have been introduced
to provide support.
At nearby Wilmington is a yew described
by Owen Johnson (The Sussex TreeBook – 1998)
as “probably the healed halves of a single stem which split
apart many centuries ago”. This tree was photographed
more than 100 years ago for The Yew Trees of Great Britain
and Ireland by John Lowe. As the weight bearing down
on these two ‘healed’ trunks has increased, props have
been positioned to support the tree.
The Wiltshire village of Alderbury came close to
losing its ancient yew fragment in the 1990s when St Mary’s
Parochial Church Council applied for consent to fell it. Perhaps
they were unaware that this was one of the oldest trees in Wiltshire.
A successful campaign to save the yew was led by David Bellamy
and the Conservation Foundation; a reduction of its top heavy crown
and a few well placed props have ensured its survival.
